3.9 Do it as an offering Krishna speaks
यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः
तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसंगः समाचर
yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samāchara
Action other than that offered as sacrifice binds the world. So do your work as an offering, son of Kunti, free of attachment.
Explanation
Do it as an offering.
Action other than that offered as yajña binds the world. So work, free of attachment.
This is the chapter's mechanism, and everything from 3.10 to 3.16 explains why offering is the right word. Not a religious add-on to the act: a redescription of what the act is.
Word by word
- yajña-arthāt
- for the sake of sacrifice
- karmaṇaḥ
- than action
- anyatra
- else
- lokaḥ
- material world
- ayam
- this
- karma-bandhanaḥ
- bondage through one’s work
- tat
- that
- artham
- for the sake of
- karma
- action
- kaunteya
- Arjun, the son of Kunti
- mukta-saṅgaḥ
- free from attachment
- samāchara
- perform properly
Long-press or right-click the image to copy it. Nothing is uploaded — it is drawn here, on your device.